 Change is the Only Constant in Life The reason I titled my editor’s letter as I did this week is because that saying has manifested itself repeatedly to me in the last week—most often delivered with slaps, kicks, and punches. They are not the literal kind but the stuff of which life can sometimes be made. Nevertheless, I am emotionally and mentally beaten down, and I am exhausted. Because I love BiblioBuffet so much and because I don’t want it to lose any of the appeal I find in it I am going to be taking some time off from writing this portion of the letter. The other parts of the letter—Upcoming Book Festivals and Fairs, The Pub House, Imaging Books & Reading, and Of Interest—will continue because these are fun, hopefully as much for you as for me. But I am giving myself the break from the personal part of it for four weeks. I promise I will be back as a much more relaxed, chipper, and gung-ho editor beginning November 27 with the first of our annual Literary Gift Guide issues. Until then, I wish you fabulous reading time. Upcoming Book Festivals and Fairs: Location: St. George, Utah
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Pub House: We aim to reach the hearts as well as minds of children. As nature publishers our material is essentially non-fiction, but usually told with such an engaging style and illustrated with such magical art that most of our books are probably best described by that budding genre, “creative non-fiction.” Each of our products is a unique window into the web of life that, grounded in nature, weaves us all together. One of the books in their youngest age category is All Around Me I See, available either in board or paperback, that tells the story of a young girl discovering the wonders of nature all around her. For those ages 5-9, Do Animals Have Feelings, Too? looks to be a superb collection of true animal behavior stories that can be used to teach children to consider the feelings of both animals and humans. And for pre-teens and adolescents, especially girls, Girls Who Looked Under Rocks is an excellent book that provides an empowering portrayal of the youths and careers of six remarkable female scientists, artists, and writers who overcame gender obstacles in the male-dominated world of science. Imaging Books & Reading: Of Interest: Choosing wood for the block is the first step in creating a woodcut. In the fifteenth century wood from fruit trees, especially pear trees, was used because of the strength of the wood's grain. These hardwoods could withstand the pressure the printing press exerted on the block and insured that the woodblock could be used repeatedly. Hundreds of legible images could be produced before a new block had to be cut. Once the block is planed and sanded flat, an image is either drawn directly onto the surface of the block or transferred from another drawing or print. The woodcut artist then uses the lines of the block as a guide, cutting away all the wood that surrounds the lines and leaving the lines in relief. The woodblock is then set onto the bed of a printing press along with type, and ink is applied to the lines on the block and the type. Finally paper is set on top of the block and the action of the printing press forces a transfer of ink to paper, revealing an image which is the reverse of the image on the block. The areas that have been cut away read white, and the lines in relief read black. It won’t take that long to read it, but you may want to linger over the enlargements of the woodcuts themselves. It is truly wonderful. Until next week, read well, read often and read on!
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